Also, for all of your chocolate or sweet connoisseurs out there, here's my favorite cookie recipe!

Belinda's Mississippi Mud Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c coconut

2 c sugar

1/2 c cocoa

pinch salt

1/2 c butter

1 c peanut butter

3 c quick-cooking oatmeal

1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Preparation:

In large saucepan, combine sugar, milk, cocoa, salt, and butter and mix well. Bring to a boil and cover the saucepan for 30 seconds to allow steam to wash sugar crystals down sides of pan. Stir mixture and bring it to a boil that can't be stirred down for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add oatmeal, coconut and 1 c of the chocolate chips.

Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drop mixtures by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. While cooling add some chocolate chips on the top and reshape the cookies how ever you want them! Let cool and enjoy!

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend! T-6 days until I arrive in Vegas with an opportunity of a lifetime!!! I'm so excited!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to all of my amazingly supportive friends, family and fans. I have been receiving so much encouragement from my home town, Scotia, NE, as well as surrounding areas in Nebraska, Nebraskans now living all over the U.S. and nonNebraskans alike! Also my amazing directors and sponsors! Your support means the absolute world to me. I am so thankful and fortunate to be surrounded my such amazing and inspiring people.

This is a quote that I'm taking with me and relates well to so many experiences we all go through:

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." -- Vince Lombardi

All of the Miss USA contestants during appearances. Photo curtsy of Carly Palmer.

I leave May 3rd and couldn't be more excited! I finish my last final for my senior year April 29th, then it will be some power packing and off to the airport! In the meantime I will be doing 2 interviews and a short film with CBS and the Greeley Citizen. I'm so anxious to meet all of the amazing women and the Miss Universe organization and staff. We have a jam packed schedule of fun and philanthropic events, long days of rehearsals and most of all a lot of hard work! I'm so excited to be there!!

May 16th on NBC live from Planet Hollywood the next Miss USA will be crowned! Don't forget to tune in for the excitement! :-)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Wow have I been one busy, busy girl! This weekend I went to Kansas City to meet with my Vanbros girls, directors and Daryl Woods. We had a very fast paced and productive weekend preparing for Miss USA.

Our glorious 6'' heels!!

We started Friday afternoon by visiting the Veterans Hospital in Kansas City. It was such an unforgettable experience to visit one on one with various patients of all ages, from all over the U.S. who had served our country. We took pictures with each patient we visited and signed the picture for them. The best part about the trip to the hospital was getting to know everyone we talked to. I heard some amazing stories from some inspiring people. Coming from a military family, where my mom, dad, grandpa and great grandpa are all veterans, this was rewarding to me on a personal level. Something I like to challenge people to is to introduce yourself and thank any military person you see.

After wrapping up, we headed to the Plaza for a bite to eat before we hit called it a day! Olivia Harlan, Miss Kansas Teen, joined us for some sushi at Kona!

Olivia Harlan (Miss Kansas Teen), me, Ashley Strohmier (Miss Missouri), Bethany Gerber (Miss Kansas), Adrielle Churchill (Miss Arkansas), and Morgan Woolard (Miss Oklahoma) after a long day of appearances we had a great dinner together at the Plaza